Heater



H. C. SIMONS July 13, 1954 HEATER 3 Sheecs-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1951 INVENTOR. HOMER CHARLES SPMONS ATTORN EYs July 13, 1954 Filed Jan. 18, 1951 H. C. SIMONS HEATER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVEN TOR. HOMER CHARLES IMOM$ Mai? ATTORNEYS Patented July 13, 1954 ETED STATES FATE HEATER Application January 18, 1951, Serial No. 206,605

2 Claims.

This invention relates to heating and ventilating and more particularly to a combination heating and ventilating system for automotive vehicles and the like.

Broadly the invention comprehends the provision of a combination heating and ventilating system for automotive vehicles and the like incorporating a thermostatically actuated valve therein for automatically controlling the temperature of the air delivered to the passenger compartment of the vehicle in accordance with the predetermined setting of the thermostat.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of a combination heating and ventilating apparatus for vehicles that incorporates simple and economical means therein for automatically controlling the air discharged therefrom to a particular desired temperature; that incorporates temperature responsive actuated valve means therein permitting of the passage or all or a portion of unheated air through the heat exchanger of the apparatus or the passage thereof in bypassing relation to the heat exchanger; that incorporates a manual setting thermostat actuated valve positionable through the operation of the thermostat to direct air delivered to the apparatus in desired paths of flow for the temperature controlled condition thereof for delivery to the passenger compartment of the vehicle without any material variation in volumetric flow and that incorporates the thermostat control means for the valve thereof in a chamber where the heated and unheated air passing through the apparatus proper have become thoroughly admixed prior to delivery to the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of the specification; and in which:

Fig. l is a front plan partly broken away view of a heating and ventilating apparatus incorporating a thermostatically actuated valve or door therein;

Fig. 2 is a top plan partly broken away view of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end plan View partly broken away taken substantially along lines 33 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partly broken away view of a portion of the thermostat control means for the valve incorporated in the apparatus.

This heating and ventilating apparatus was devised for the purpose of providing a simple and economical means of providing the automatic delivery of air of a desired temperature to the passenger compartment of a vehicle in which the apparatus is installed. Through the provision of a heater and ventilating apparatus including a two path air heating structure and a pivotal valve controlled opening near the inlet to the two path air heating structure permitting of the controlled bypassing of air around the heater structure if so desired. By so arranging the valve in an appropriate location in the apparatus the unheated air delivered thereto can be made to all pass through the heating structure or be bypassed around the heating structure or it can be delivered in varying proportions through or around the heating structure. The valve in being pivoted between open and closed position provides for a modulation in temperature of the air delivered by the apparatus wherein both the air by-passed around the heater structure and that passed through the heater structure are again joined and admixed for delivery to the passenger compartment. As the air joins up again after passage through and around the heater structure it is delivered to an air blower where it is thoroughly admixed before being discharged to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. It is at the exit from the blower wheel that a suitable air temperature responsive thermostat is located effective through the operation thereof and air discharged into contact with the thermostat to actuate the valve to a desired position in accord ance with its manual setting for a desired delivery of air from the apparatus corresponding to the thermostat setting. A thermostat in the form of a bi-inetal member provides a suitable economical means which can be easily and properly adjusted for the delivery of air of a desired tern perature.

Referring to the drawings for more specific details of the invention it represents generally a combination heating and ventilating apparatus of the type basically disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 111,436, filed August 20, 1949, and now latent No. 2,542,317 granted February 20, 1951, adaptable to automotive vehicles and the like comprising basically a heat exchange unit !2, an air propelling device It, a casing H3 housing the heat exchange unit therein and a scroll I8 for the air propelling device mounted upon the casing iii in air communicating relation therewith by way of outlet opening 2 3 in the casing and inlet opening 22 in the scroll. The heat exchange unit 12 is of the two path air flow type wherein the unit is mounted in the casing 56 having a cover or bafile plate 2 completely enclosing one face of the unit and an air flow channel member 26 on its opposite face covering approximately half the face area thereof such that air is permitted to pass through the channel, through a portion of the unit and after passing through said portion of the unit is directed by the plate 24 back through the other portion of the unit substantially surrounding the first air path portion.

After passing through the second air path portion of the heat exchange unit the air exiting therefrom passes out around the exterior surface of the channel member 26 and is discharged from casing through openings and 22 into the central air receiving zone of air propelling device M, which in this case is preferably a radial flow air blower. The air received by the blower is in turn impelled thereby out of the scroll it therefor, for delivery either to the passenger COl'l'lpartment of the vehicle to which the apparatus is adapted through an outlet opening 28 provided in the side and bottom of scroll i8 having a plurality of bafiles 30 therein or through air flow defroster ducting 32 controlled as by an air flow control valve 34 therefor.

The channel member 26 provides an air inlet opening 36 and has pivotally arranged in an angular wall 38 thereof a gate or valve 40 movable therein to control an opening 42 provided in wall 3% permitting of the by-pass flow of air as received in inlet opening 36 in the channel member directly therethrough to the air propelling device l4 without the heating thereof. The gate or valve til can be moved between full closed position in the wall 38 of channel member 26 and to full open position with the end it abutting the face of the heat exchange unit, with which the channel member 26 is associated. The valve 68 in its full open position provides for substantially all of the air admitted to the inlet channel member to pass directly to the air propelling device for subsequent delivery therefrom to the interior of the vehicle. The valve it in being adaptable to positioning as desired is effective to modulate the air to be propelled by the blower inasmuch as the air by-passing around the heat exchange unit becomes admixed with the air passing through the heat exchange unit.

Through the introduction of heated and nonheated into the blower scroll i8 by way of outlet opening 20 in casing 15 and inlet opening in scroll 28 the air is made to pass through .10 blower and thus is thoroughly admixed perng of the discharge of uniform temperature on either from scroll [8 by way of baffled opening 5'8 or by way of defroster ducting 32.

As means of effectively controlling the positioning of valve 40 in accordance with a desired temperature of the air to be discharged from the scroll it of the heater, a bi-metallic thermostat control as is disposed in chamber 48 at a point where the air is discharged from the air blower Ihe thermostat control includes a bimetal spirally wound coil 50 attached at one end to a rotatable shaft 52, said shaft being appropriately journalled in a bearing support 54 mounted on the exterior of scroll iii. A manual control knob 56 is afiixed at one end of shaft 52, whereas a wheel 58 is aflixed at the opposite end of the shaft, engageable with a spring means for maintaining a manual setting of the thermostat, said wheel having a plurality of like equitpaced lobes 52 adapted to have interfitting and locking arrangement with a cooperative lobe 64 on spring means 60. The end of the spirally wound coil, opposite from the end attached to the shaft 52, is attached to a lever member 66 wherein with the opposite extremity of lever 66 being attached to the valve 40, movement of the coil 50 is operative to effect either an opening or a closing of the valve 40.

Through a pro-established setting of the control knob of the thermostat control 4'5, the valve til can be made to operate in accordance with the temperature of air desired to be discharged from the blower wherein when the air, being discharged from the blower, strikes the coil 5 which is in turn responsive to the temperature of the air to position the door, a modulated con trol of air for flow partially through the heat exchange unit and partially around the heat exchange unit, or completely through or completely by-passed around the heat exchange unit can be had depending on the thermostat control setting.

It is understandable that a low temperature setting of the thermostat control will more than likely effect a complete opening of valve if so that substantially all of the air is lay-passed around the heater element whereas a high temperature setting of the thermostat control will cause all of the air delivered to the channel member .l l by way of inlet 36 therein to be pa through the heater element for subsequent d cry by way of the blower to the passenger compartment.

With the valve 40 so arranged in wall of channel member 3 5 an efiective temperature modulation of air to be discharged from the air slower is attained without materially affecting the volumetric flow as when the air is all passed either directly through the heat exchange unit or by-passed around said unit.

While this invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodim the principle involved is susceptible of .snerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention, therefore, is limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A heater apparatus comprising a casing having air inlet and discharge openings therein a heat exchanger mounted in the casing, a tition in the casing having an opening therethrough, connected between the air inlet opening of the casing and one face of the heat exchanger, separating the inlet and discharge openings of the casing from one another, said heat exchanger having air passage means therethrough providing communication between the air inlet and discharge openings in the casing, valve means pivotal on the partition normally controlling the opening therethrough, with a pivot shaft therefor integral therewith, journalled on and disposed to one side of the opening, a scroll mounted on the casing having an air inlet opening, G0lllll'lllnicating with the discharge opening in the casing, and an air discharge opening, an air impeller mounted for rotation in the scroll, and a thermostat positioned on the scroll, including a coiled bi-metallic heat sensitive element, disposed within the interior of the scroll, adjacent the air discharge opening in the casing in the path of air flow discharged through the air discharge in the casing having the extremity at its largest diameter coupled to the pivot shaft for simul taneous movement therewith and its central axis extremity coupled to a manually adjustable post, said post extending from the interior to the exterior of the scroll on the topside thereof, said L5 heat sensitive element operative upon the expansion thereof to actuate the valve means through the coupled arrangement of the one extremity of the heat sensitive element and the pivot shaft for the valve means.

2. A heater apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a manually controlled knob is attached at one end of the post on the outside of the scroll, wherein a star wheel is attached to the post on the inside of the scroll and wherein a spring tensioned member is engaged by the star Wheel for maintaining an adjusted position of the post and control knob.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date W01f0rd Aug. 20, 1929 Callahan Oct. 6, 1931 Adair Feb. 20, 1940 Goldthwaite Sept. 15, 1942 Crise Nov. 11, 1947 Findley Nov. 15, 1949 Mayo Apr. 4, 1950 Faulhaber et a1. Feb. 20, 1951 

